Up, Down, Left, Right: Abstract
The image of the arrow is nearly everywhere we look. It suggests and controls the movement of information, people, and machines. However, the use of the arrow as a symbol is believed to be less than four hundred years old. Up, Down, Left, Right explores the ubiquity, influence, and variety of arrows within our visual culture. The exhibit consists of four main sections: a printed booklet titled, Up, Down, Left, Right: A Brief History, a collection of eighty photographs and thirty silkscreen prints of arrows found throughout the region, a display of visitor contributed arrow artifacts, and a comparative anatomy of the three main parts of arrow.
Central to Up, Down, Left, Right is the practice of collecting found vernacular signage and then recontextualizing those findings by masking the surrounding environment thereby foregrounding the arrow forms in each image. Through the process of collecting, a unique way of seeing is established creating a participatory subculture whose methods of observation and interpretation are centrally aligned around the nuances of arrows.
Exhibition visitors are able to engage further with arrows through methods of play and interaction. A set of wooden blocks inspired by German educator Freidrich Fröbel’s concept of “Gifts and Occupations” provides visitors the opportunity to explore the formal diversity of arrows through recombination. Additionally, contributions of arrows from visitors are displayed in the exhibition space and the meanings of those artifacts are docketed according to a schema of signs and symbols outlined by Swiss designer and typographer Adrian Frutiger.
Up, Down, Left, Right embraces the notion that a cohesive visual identity is integral to the successful communication of message and content. This is achieved through the exploration of different materials and production techniques that are applied consistently throughout the exhibit. The creative process behind Up, Down, Left, Right engages notions of craft, production, and presentation as they contribute to the engagement and retention of an audience.
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